Electric train signaling and controlling means.



A J.ALLARD. f I ELECTRIC TRAIN SIGNALING AND CONTROLLING MEANS.

'7 APPLICATION FILED 0613.4, 1910. RENEWED JAN. 28, 1913. 1,060,409, Patented Apr. '29, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR [TNESSES W Z Attor ey A. J. ALLARD. ELECTRIC TRAIN SIGNALING AND CONTROLLING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1910. RENEWED JAN. 28, 1913.

1,060,400. v Patented Apr.29,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, mm!llllllllllllllllllllllllwill? oeonoc.

' inafter set onrrnn snares Parana? ora ion.

ANDREW J. ALLARD, 0E RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO 'I. F. GREEN AND ONE-THIRD T0 DAVID R. CREECY, JR, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC TRAIN SIGNALING AND CONTROLLING IEEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Octoper 4, 1910, Serial No. 585,296. Renewed January 28, 1913. SeriaI No. 744,782.

To all whom it may 0mm Be it known that 1, ANDREW J. ALLARD,

of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Train Signaling and Controlling Means; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. a

This invention relates to improvements in electric train-signaling and controlling means, the object of my present invention being to provide simple and eflicient means which shall be operative automatically to actuate a signal on the locomotive and, if said signal be ignored, to automatically stop the train before'it reaches an open switch.

A further object is to provide means whereby the engineer can, upon arriving in proximity to the switch or siding, communicate with a despatchers otfice.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts as hereforth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of circuits and devices adjacent to a railroad siding. Fig.' "2 is a-diagrammatical View showlng the circuits and devices on a locomotive. IFig. 3 is a detail view of the brake cont-rolling devices, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of one pair of relays.

" 1, 1, represent the rails of a road and 2 a siding; at each end of 'which latter pivoted switch points 3 are located. Some distance rearwardly of the switch of the siding, cont-act rails 4 (each prefer ably about one-thousand feet in length), are located between the track rails, and between the contact rails 4 and the switches, shorter contact rails 5 are-located between the track rails,-said contact rails being adapted to cooperate with a contact shoe on each locomotive as hereinafter explained.

In advance of the switches at respective ends of the siding pairs of relays 89. are located and'in order that the armat-ures of said relays shall respond to currents of different voltages under different conditions, the springs 10 connected with said armatures will be so adjusted that the armature of each relay 8 will be actuated upon the.

passage of a low voltage current through its coils, and so that the armature of each relay 9 will be actuatedonly when a current of higher voltage passes through its coils. For convenience, the relays 8 will be hereinafter referred to as low voltage relays and the relays 9 will be designated as high voltage relays.

The coils of the relays are included in series with each other and a line wire 11 connectsone terminal of the relay magnets at one end of the siding with one terminal of the relay magnets at the other end of the siding. The other terminal of each pair of relay magnets is connectedwith a battery 12.'and the latter is connected, by a conductor 13, with one terminal of a battery 14. The other terminal of each bat-tery 14 is connected with the contact point 15" of a Patented Apr. 29,19i a.

circuit closer, the casing 6 ofwhich is elecvide'd at one end with a head 7* to cooperate with the contact point 15. One end of the rod 7 of each circuitcloser bears against an adjacent switch point 3 and the pressure of the latter against said rod maintains the head 7 normally out of contact with the contact point 15, when the siding switch is open. The casing 6 of each circuit closer is connected, by means of a conductor 16, with one terminal of a resistance 17 and the other terminal of this resistance is connected, by means of a conductor. 17 with the conductor 13 at a point between the batteries 12 and 14. It will thus be seen that the relay magnets at both ends of the siding are included in series in a constantly closed circuit comprising the line wire 11, a track rail, the batteries 12- and the resistances 17, and that, by reason of the resistances 17, the voltage of the current in this circuit is such that the low-voltage relay .magnets only will be suflicient-ly energizedto actuate their armatures, and hence the local circuits (hereinafter described) controlled by the rela s 8 will be open as shown in Fig. l of ,t- .e drawing.

At each end of the'siding, the armature cuit closer will be moved by its levers of t-herrelays are connected, by means I of a conductor 18, with a track rail. The contact 19 of the relay 8 is connected conductor 20 with one terminal of a batterv 21 and the other terminal of connected by. a conductor 22 witha con ductor 23. One end of the'conductorf 23 is connected with short contact rail 5 and the other end is connected with one terminal of aresistan'ce 24,'the other terminal of said resistance being connected with,a switchcontact 25 with which the arm 26 of a switch 26 coiiperates. This switch arm is a conductor 27 with The contact 28 for the armature lever of each relay 9, is connected, by a conductor "29 with the conductor 20. The switch 26 comprises two mechanically connected arms 26 and 30, and suitable contacts for said arms.

It will, of course, be understood that the construction and arrangement of circuits and devices at both ends of the siding will be the same asabove described, and their cooperation will, hereinafter, be made apparent.

Each locomotive tact shoe 35 to engage the contact rails 4,

and 5, and in the cab of thelocomotive, a

solenoid .36 is located, the core of this solenoid being connected with a semaphore 37 also located in the cab. A switch 38 is also located in the cab and comprises alongitudinally movable bar provided with a plurality of contact plates a plurality of contact arms 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 49. The switch arms 43, 49 are normally connected by the contact plate 39,

and the arm 49 .is connected'by conductors 5051 with the contact shoe 35. The switch arm 43 is connected by a conductor 52 with one terminal of the coil of solenoid 30, the other terminal of said coil being connected, by means of a conductor 53 with the truck frame. p v

When a car or locomotive approaches one end or the other of the siding and the siding switch is closed, no signal will be received in the cab ofthe locomotive. When the siding-switch is opened, the rod of the"cirspring and will engage the contact point the head 7 15, thus closing the circuit of battery 14 and placmg resistance 17 in shunt around this battery. Batteries '12 and 14 will now be in series with-each other and suflicient current will be supplied to energize the high voltage relay 9 and cause the armature of the latter to engage the contact point 28. The local circuits of battery 21 will now be closed at the relay 9, but as this circuit includes a track rail and contact rails, it will remain open until a train approaches the siding and the contact shoe on the locomotive engages one of said contact --rai1s.

by a

this battery is shoe and truck is provided with a conreciprocation of the 39, 40, 41 and 42, and

Assume now, that the siding switch is open and that a locomotive has reached the long contact rail 4 so thatvthe shoe 35 on the 10- comotive engages said contact rail rUnder such conditions, acircuit will be established including battery 21, resistance 24,'contact the circuits on the latter which includes the semaphore solenoid. The semaphore in the cab will thus be actuated and moved to danger or stop position, indicating .to the engineer that the switch at the sidingis open. Should'the engineer disregard such warning, his train will be automatically stopped, by means of appliancesfind in the manner which will now be en laine d.

A cylinder '54 (shown-in detailin 3 is locatedon the'locomotive and provided with a piston 55, the rod 56 of which is connected with the air-brake valve mechanism (not shown) for operating the same. The cylinder 54 is provided with a valve chamber 57 which communicates with the respective ends. of the cylinder by means of ducts 58-59,,and said valve casing is also provided with exhaust ports 60. An air supply pipe 6O communicates with the valve chamber between the exhaust ports. A reciprocating .valve 61 is. located within the valve chamber 57 and provided with suitable ducts for connecting respective ends of the cylinder with the air supply pipe and an exhaust port, alternately so as to. cause piston 55 for operating the valve controlling mechanism of the air brakes. A hand lever 62 is pivoted at one end to a suitable support 63 and this lever is connected, by means of a rod 64 with the valve 61, sai-d lever being movable in one direction by a spring-65. The valve 61 is maintained normally in the position shown in" Fig. 3, by means of a latch 66 pivoted at one end to a fixed support and adapted at its other end to engage a lug or hook 67 on the lever 62, such engagement being normally maintained by The latch lever 66 is provided with an armature 69 for an electro-magnet 70, and this magnet is controlled by devices presently explained, to actuate the latch lever and release the hand lever 62. When the hand lever shall have been thus released, the spring will be admit air behind the piston 55'to operate the valve mechanism of the brakes.

The brake controlling devices above de'- scribed will be located in such position under the locomotive that it will be necessary for the engineer to leave his cab before he can reach them for resetting, such resetting being accomplished by operating the hand lever 62 until its latch devices 66-67 be come engaged.-

means of a spring 68.

rrame of the locomotive, and a free to shift the valves 61 and thus I The coil of the magnet 70 is included in a V 71 and a switch 72,this. circuit being traced on Fig. 2 as follows The battery 71 is connected by a conductor 73 with one terminal of the coil of magnet 70 and thewill be thrown, by the action of a spring 78,

and be permitted to coiiperate with the contact 75 to close said localcircuit. The switch devices above described for controlling the local circuit of magnet 70, will also. be located under the locomotive, so as to'necessitate the engineer leavingthe cab to reset them.- It is apparent thatthe engineercannot reset the brake controlling devices shown in Fig. 8, until he has first reset the switch 72 to open the local circuit including the magnet because the latter would not permit the operation of the latch lever 66 as long as the magnet 70 remains energized. The latch 77 is maintained normally in. engagement with the switch lever 72 by means of a suitable spring and the operation of said latch is controlled by an electro-inagnet 79. One terminal of the coil of this magnet is connected, by a conductor 80, with the conductor 51, the latter being connected with the contact shoe as before explained. The other terminal of the coil of magnet 79 is connected with'one end of a statmnaryresistance 81, the other end of said resistance being connected with the movable arm 82 of a speedometer 83 of any preferred construct on and suitably connected with the car axles or wheels. The arm 82 of the speed ometer also forms a switch arm adapted to' cooperate with a contact 84, the latter being connected, by means of a conductor 85, with the conductor The speedometer will. be so set that the circuit including the magnet 79 will be closed at 82-84- when the train is running beyond a predetermined rate of speed,preterably, five miles per hour or more.

The speed of the train when it reaches the long contact rail and while it is passing" over such rail would (in most instances) be such that the circuit controlled by the speedometer would be closed, but the voltage of the current supplied by the batteries 21 would be so cut down by the resistances 24 and 8l,thatthe magnet 79 would not be sufiiciently energized to opera-Kell e trip 77, and hence the circuit of the magnet 70 which controls the brake mechanism, would be kept open.

As before explained, the semaphore 37 i in This circuit is maintained normally.

plied, by

to indicate to the engineer, the end of the long contact rail, and therefore, the necessity for slackening the speed of the train or stopping it if the semaphore 37 still remains at danger. Should the engineer disregard the warning of his semaphore and permit' the train to continue at a rate of five miles per hour (more or less, according tothe setting of the speedometer) and the shoe 35 should reach the short contact rail 5, the air brakes on the train would be at once apreason of the automatic manipulation and operation of circuits and devices, as follows: lVhen the shoe 35 leaves the long contact rail 4 and engages the short contact rail 5, those portions of the circuit which include the resistance 24 will be opened and the circuits of the battery 21 will be closed through the conductor 23, short contact rail 5 and the cab circuits, thus placing the full voltage. supplied by the battery 21 in the short contact rail and cab circuits. The circuit-of the magnet'79 being now closed at the speedometer, and the resistance 24 having been cut out, suflicient current will be supplied by the battery 21 to so energize the magnet 79 as to cause it to actuate the trip 77 and release the switch lever 72. This switch lever will then be promptly moved by the spring 78, into engagement with the contact and close the local circuit including the magnet 70 and battery 71. The magnet 70 will then move the trip 66 and release the lever 62, whereupon the action of the spring 65 will shift the valve 61 and permit a movement of the piston 55 to operate the valve mechanism of the air brakes and the consequent application of the latter, thus automatically stoppingthe train; Before the train can proceed, the engineer must alight from his cab and manually reset, first the switch lever 72 and then the lever 62 as previously explained. Should the siding be now closed, the movement' of the switch point will move the head 7 of .the circuit closer away from the contact point 15 and the circuit of battery 14 will be opened, but the circuit of the relays will remain closed through the-battery 12 and resistance 17 in series. The voltage in the relay circuit having now been reduced by the removal of the battery 14 and including of the resistance 17 in series with the battery 12 and relay magnets, the armature of the high voltage relay 9 will be released and the local circuit which includes the battery 21 will be opened, thus open-circuiting the signal controlling-ides vices in the cab of the locomotive if the lat ter be in such position that its shoe 35 is in engagement with one of the contact rails.-

' local circuits.

The semaphorewould then move to safety and indicate to the engineer that the siding switch has been properly reset.

Should it-be desired that the train shall enter the siding, this may be accomplished without causing the automatic operation ofthe brakes if the engineer will run his train .past the contact rail 5 at a rate of speed less than five miles per hour, because the speedometer would not permit the closing of'the brakecontrolling circuits unless the train is running at the rate of five miles per hour or .other predetermined rate of speed at which cause such local circuit would be closed.

through the semaphore circuit on the train.

When such a condition exists, it is desirable (in order to avoid holding the train an indefinite length of time) that the engineer shall be enabled to report to a despatehers ofiice and receive orders. For this reason, a

telephone 90 is provided-in the cab, and the arms 26'30 of the switc'h'26 are adapted (when thrown from the position shown in .Fig. 1) toengage contacts 87, with which conductors 88 leading to telephone line wires, are connected. In the cab, one terminal of the battery 71 is connected with a telephone terminal by means of conductors 7691, and the other terminal of said battery is connected with switch arm 48, by means of conductors 7 3-92, and the switch arm 48 is electrically connected with switch contact 40 by a conductor 93. The switch arm 94 of the telephone is connected by conductor 95 with arm 46 of the switch 38, and

' the contact point 96 for the telephone switch arm 94, is connected, by a conductor 97 with the arm 44' of switch 38. The contact point 98 is connected in the talking circuit of the telephone and the conductor 91 is connected with the arm 45 of switch 88. The contact 41 of the switch 38 is connected by a conductor 100, with the truck frame, The switch 38 is maintained in its normal position by means of a spring 99.

When the engineer desires to. communicate with the despatchers oiiice, he will first throw the switch 26 to connect the telephone line wires (through the. medium of conductors 24- and'lOl) with a'track rail 3 'and a conductor rail 4' and he will then move the switch bar 38 longitudinally. The result of this will be to include the battery 71 in circuit with the telephone line and in circuit with a rheotome bell (not shown) at the despatchers ofiice. As soon as the engineer removes the telephone receiver from its hook, the calling battery 71 will be cut out and the talking circuit of the telephone will be closed. The engineer can now receive orders from the despatcher and if such orders be for him to proceed, the engineer will first restore the switches 26 and 38 and then proceed with his train at I miles an hour (more or less according to the setting of the speedometer 82) until he has passed the short conductor rail 5.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. The combination with a railway block including siding switches, rolling equipment, and signaling means on the rolling equipment, of high and lowvoltage relays at each end of the block, a closed electric circuit including the relays at both ends of the block, resistances included in said closed circuit, normally open shunt circuits around said resistances, circuit closersin said shunt circuits and disposed to be controlled by the siding switches, partial local circuits at the ends of the block controlled by the relays, connections on the rolling equipment cooperating with the signal means, and means for completing the partial local circuits at the ends of the block through the signal controlling connections on the rolling equipment for operating the signal means.

2. The combination with a railroad block including siding switches, rolling equipment, signaling means on the rolling equipment, and electric circuit connections on said rolling equipment for the signaling means, of high and low voltage relays at each end of the block, partial local circuits controlled a rate less than live by said relays, means for completing said partial local circuits through the circuit connections of the signaling means for operating the latter, a closed electriccircuit including both relays at both ends of the block, resistances in said closed circuit, shunt circuits around saidresistances, batteries in said shunt circuits, and spring-actuated circuit closers also included in said shunt circuits, said circuit closers disposed in position to be held normally open by the siding switches when the latter are closed.

3. The combination with a railway block including sidin switches, rolling equipment, a visual signal and brake controlling means on the rolling equipment, electrical devices for controlling the operation of said signal and brake controlling means, and cir cuit connections for said'electrical devices, of long and short contact rails at the ends oft-he block, a shoe on the rolling equipment connected with the. circuit connections on the latter and adapted to cooperate with Losonec said contact rails, high. and low voltage relays at both ends of the block, a closed circuit including the relays at both ends of the block, resistances included in seitl closed circuit, shunt circuits around said resistances, normally open circuit closers insaicl shunt circuits in position to be controlled by the siding switches, and partial local circuits at the ends of the block and controlled .0 by said relays, each partial local circuit having branches connected with the long ancl short contact ralls.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification 1n the presence of two subscribmg Witnesses.

' ANDREW J. ALLARD.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR l). PLEAsAN'rs, W. B. CLAIBORNE.

fiopies 0:" $1112 patent may be obieined for :E've cents each, by scldi'cssing; the Commissiener cf lisiicnis,

Washington, 19. 3. 

